[Premature rupture of fetal membranes and intra-amnionic infection].

Although the group under study was small (90 cases) but compared with the control group of the same size it did reveal some facts: 1. The duration of labour was much shorter (by 8 hours on the average) in the control than in the study group. 2. The result of the assessment of the condition of children by the Apgar score was somewhat better in the control group, which is understandable with regard to the subsequent delivery course in the group of children with a premature bursting of the bag of waters. 3. The percentage of directed labour in the group under study was significantly higher (60%). 4. Surgical completion of labour in the study group (10%) was more frequent than in the control group (4.4%). Breech presentation was observed only in the study group (5.5%) which corroborates the old rule that in any premature bursting of the bag of waters, along with all kinds of delivery complications, also the cephalopelvic disproportion and some irregular presentation of the fetus in labour should be expected. 5. Although in the premature bursting of the bag of waters the duration of labour is longer (14 hours and 19 minutes) than in the control group (5 hours and 40 minutes), no more frequent infection, either in newborns or mothers, has been observed.